Preparing for an Uncertain Future: Domain Name Strategies for Business Owners

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MarkUpgrade

5 min readFeb 14, 2023

Entrepreneurship is almost a synonym of uncertainty, but recent years have brought a heightened level of unpredictability. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted markets and forced companies to adjust to new ways of operating. Economic and political instability, shifting audience demographics and preferences, and rapid technological advancements are also contributing to an increasingly unpredictable business landscape. In this environment, it’s more important than ever for businesses to take proactive steps to prepare for the unknown and ensure their long-term survival. One critical area to focus on is the management of your company’s domain name.

Let’s get digital

While the future is unpredictable, taking steps to prepare for it can help ensure the longevity of your brand. A critical aspect of this preparation is securing and managing the right domain names for your business. Establishing a strong online presence is essential for reaching clients in today’s digital world, and a domain name is the foundation of that presence. By taking proactive measures to manage a strong domain name portfolio, you can better position your brand to adapt and thrive in the face of an uncertain future. In this article, we’ll explore some important domain name strategies that can help entrepreneurs prepare for the changes the future may bring.

Having the right brand identity is important and more often than not, that starts with the company name which ideally is the domain name. If you can get that right from the start, that’s a huge advantage.
- Geoffrey Prentice , Co-Founder of Oriente.com

Secure your brand by registering your exact brand match domain name and variations of it

Here are some great starting points from our blog on this topic that can help you with this:

Monitor your domain names to prevent unauthorized use or misuse

Monitoring your domain names is critical for preventing unauthorized use or misuse. Cyber criminals are always on the lookout for registering domain names that infringe on another’s trademark or brand name.

For 83% of companies, it’s not if a data breach will happen, but when. The global average total cost of a data breach is $4.35M.
- IBM report

Phishing and cyber-squatting are common problems that can harm your brand’s reputation, divert traffic away from your website and cost millions to brands yearly. According to IBM’s report ,for 83% of companies, it’s not if a data breach will happen, but when. Monitoring your domain name can help you identify potential risk areas, and take legal action to protect your brand. It can alert you to instances of phishing or other malicious activities that can harm your customers or compromise your online security. By taking a proactive approach to monitoring your domain names, you can help safeguard your brand and maintain the trust of your customers.

Consider internationalising your domain portfolio to reach a global audience

As the internet connects people from around the world, having a domain name that reflects your international reach can be a powerful way to build your brand. Internationalising your domain name portfolio involves using country code top-level domains (ccTLDs) or generic top-level domains (gTLDs) that are specific to a particular geographic region or industry. This can help you establish a local presence and increase your visibility in search results in those regions. A strong domain strategy can help you protect your brand in different markets and prevent others from using similar names.

It’s worth noting that while country-specific top-level domains (ccTLDs) can be effective for targeting local markets, the .com domain remains the most popular choice for businesses looking to reach a global audience.

.com is by far the most identified top-level domain in the world and having that is good in helping to avoid having people ending up somewhere else when they are looking for your company.
- Thejo Kote, Founder & CEO of Airbase.com

Plan for domain name system (DNS) attacks by implementing security measures

A DNS (Domain Name System) attack is a cyber attack that targets the infrastructure that translates domain names into IP addresses. It aims to disrupt the availability or integrity of a website or online service. Attackers can use various methods, such as DNS cache poisoning, DNS amplification, or domain hijacking, to achieve their objective. DNS attacks can cause significant harm to businesses, including financial loss, reputation damage, and compromised customer data.

Planning for domain name system (DNS) attacks is an essential aspect of managing your domain name. DNS attacks can take many forms, from distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks that overwhelm your website with traffic to domain hijacking, where an attacker gains control of your domain name and uses it for malicious purposes.

To protect your brand from these attacks, it’s important to implement security measures such as using two-factor authentication, regularly changing passwords, and working with a reputable domain name registrar that offers advanced security features. You should also have a plan in place for responding to DNS attacks, including a backup domain name and a process for communicating with customers and stakeholders. By taking a proactive approach to DNS security, you can help safeguard your brand and maintain the trust of your customers.

Develop a domain name strategy that aligns with your business goals and objectives

Your domain name portfolio should reflect your brand identity and long term strategy and goals. It’s important to consider the type of domain names that will work best for your business — brandable, keyword-rich names, names for specific marketing campaigns, sub-brands or products. You should also consider factors such as domain length, the use of hyphens, and the extension of your naming assets.

By developing a comprehensive domain name strategy, you can ensure that your online presence is consistent and effective in promoting your brand and achieving your business goals.

Protect Your Brand from Uncertainty

In an uncertain business landscape, having a solid domain name strategy is essential. Business owners must take steps to secure their brand by choosing, securing and managing the right domain names. By investing in a strong domain name strategy, businesses can improve their online presence, protect their brand, and ensure long-term success in an ever-changing digital environment.

In today’s fast-paced online market, a premium domain name can be the difference between success and failure. Don’t let your competition get ahead — invest in a premium domain name today and avoid the potential loss of customers and revenue.

Originally published at https://smartbranding.com on February 14, 2023.